It's time to book holiday flights, according to AAA

Abigail Rosenthal, GateHouse Media

Thursday

Sep 19, 2019 at 12:29 PM

Halloween might be over a month away, but it's already time to start thinking about travel plans for the holiday season. According to AAA, the best time to book your Thanksgiving and Christmas flights starts Sept. 25.

“Holiday travelers should make their plans now and begin booking their flights for Thanksgiving and Christmas as early as Wednesday, Sept. 25 for the best deals and availability,” Paula Twidale, vice president of AAA Travel, said in a press release. “Procrastinating travelers may be able to find last-minute deals on flights close to the holidays, as airlines look to fill their last few remaining seats, but flight availability for these peak travel weeks will be very limited by that time.”

AAA found that Thanksgiving travelers most often booked flights between Sept. 25 and Oct. 27. While the lowest prices for Thanksgiving flights can be found seven to 13 days before the holiday, seat availability might not be ideal.

The Monday of Thanksgiving week offers a lighter travel day and the lowest average ticket price before the holiday ($486). The Sunday before is the lightest travel day but has the highest average cost at $564. You can save the most by traveling on Thanksgiving Day, which has an average ticket price of $454 according to AAA.

It's also not too early to book your flight for Christmas — most travelers book between Sept. 26 and Oct. 25 for lower prices than average. Like Thanksgiving, the best pricing can be found seven to 13 days before, but with limited options.

The cheapest and lightest travel day during the Christmas season falls on Christmas Eve, with an average price of $527.

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